SMS billing depends on encoded character count, not just visible words.

• GSM‑7 (English/basic symbols): 160 chars in 1 SMS; 153 per part when split.
• Unicode (regional scripts/emoji): 70 chars in 1 SMS; 67 per part when split.
  Using emoji, regional languages, or some smart quotes/punctuation switches to Unicode, reducing capacity. Billing is per SMS part.

Table of contents

• Who this is for
• Key concepts: encoding & limits
• When messages split into multiple parts
• Characters that trigger Unicode mode
• Check SMS length inside MyOperator
• Examples (realistic scenarios)
• Troubleshooting & best practices
• FAQ
• Related articles
• Structured data (SEO)

Who this is for

Marketing, CX, and Ops teams using Broadcast → Create Campaign who need to predict SMS parts/credits and avoid accidental Unicode.

Key concepts: encoding & limits

Encoding determines your character budget.

* In multi‑part SMS, a small header is added so networks can stitch parts together, reducing the effective characters per part.

When messages split into multiple parts

If your text exceeds 160 (GSM‑7) or 70 (Unicode) characters, it is sent as concatenated SMS (multi‑part). In concatenated mode:

• Each part holds 153 (GSM‑7) or 67 (Unicode) characters.
• The system adds a tiny concatenation header per part so phones can reassemble the full message.

Heads‑up: Very near the limit? Even adding a single character (or a hidden character) can push the message into 2 parts.

Characters that trigger Unicode mode

Any of the following switches your message from GSM‑7 to Unicode:

• Emoji (🙂, 🚀, etc.)
• Regional language characters (e.g., हिंदी, বাংলা, தமிழ்)
• Certain smart quotes and non‑ASCII punctuation (e.g., “ ” ‘ ’ — • …)
• Text copy‑pasted from Word/Excel/the web that includes hidden non‑ASCII characters

Tip: Compose in a plain‑text editor first, or replace smart characters with straight equivalents (" ' - ...).

Check SMS length inside MyOperator

1. Go to Broadcast → Create Campaign.
2. Type or paste your message in the editor.
3. Watch the live counters for:
• Characters remaining
• How many SMS parts/credits will be consumed

Examples (realistic scenarios)

1) Short English announcement (GSM‑7)
Reminder: Your appointment is today at 5 PM. Reply YES to confirm.
Length well under 160 → 1 part (GSM‑7).

2) Over the GSM‑7 limit by 1 character
160‑char text + 1 extra → 2 parts of 153 each (total capacity 306).

3) Emoji included
Sale today → 50% off! 🎉 includes an emoji → switches to Unicode → 70 chars max for 1 part.

4) Regional script
आपका OTP 123456 है uses Devanagari → Unicode rules apply (70/67).

5) Smart punctuation from Word
Curly quotes/em‑dash may trigger Unicode. Replace with straight quotes/hyphen to stay on GSM‑7 where possible.

Troubleshooting & best practices

Message split unexpectedly
• Check for hidden Unicode (emoji, curly quotes, bullets, NBSP).
• Use a plain‑text editor or “Paste as plain text”.

Counter shows fewer characters than you typed
• In multi‑part mode the header reduces capacity per part (153/67). This is expected.

Counts differ from another tool
• Tools may normalize whitespace/line breaks differently. Rely on the in‑product counter.

Long URLs/UTMs blow up the length
• Use a link shortener. Avoid copy‑pasting formatted links from docs.

Variables/merge tags expand
• If you use placeholders (), preview with sample values to ensure you stay within expected parts.

Keep costs predictable
• Aim for ≤160 GSM‑7 or ≤70 Unicode whenever possible.
• Avoid emojis in high‑volume campaigns unless necessary.

FAQ

Q: Do line breaks count as characters?
Yes. Newlines and spaces are characters and count toward the limit.

Q: Are delivery charges different for Unicode?
Billing is typically per part, regardless of encoding. The key difference is fewer characters per part in Unicode.

Q: Why did my 161‑character English message cost 2 credits?
Because exceeding 160 (GSM‑7) triggers multi‑part: now each part holds 153 characters.

Q: Can I force GSM‑7 if I need emoji?
No. Any emoji or non‑GSM character requires Unicode encoding.

Q: Does the preview show exact billing?
It shows parts/credits based on the text you enter. Final billing uses the same calculation.

Related articles

• Create an SMS broadcast campaign
• Avoid accidental Unicode in SMS (smart quotes, bullets, NBSP)
• Track SMS delivery and troubleshoot failures

Replace these with links to your live KB pages once available.